Free grammar and syntax activities for speech therapy
63 free activities · no sign-up
These boards cover morphology, the small parts that change a word (plural -s, past tense -ed, comparatives, common prefixes and suffixes), and syntax, the way words combine into sentences, from simple subject–verb–object sentences up to clauses joined with because, although and unless.
For early grammar, model the form many times in a short burst before asking for it. For complex sentences, combine two short sentences into one, then have the student say or write their own. Sentence combining is especially useful for the written work older students are asked to produce.
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All 63 activities
PreK–2
- 2-Symbol Combination PracticePractice verb + noun combinations on AAC.
- 3-Symbol Combination PracticeBuild 3-symbol messages: I want + item.
- Article Use PracticePractice correct selection of definite and indefinite articles a/an/the.
- Because ClausesUse because to connect cause-effect clauses in spontaneous speech.
- Comparative -er and morePractice forming comparatives with -er for short and more for longer adjectives.
- Comparatives and SuperlativesCards for -er and -est adjective forms.
- Compound Sentence BuildingCombine two simple sentences into a compound sentence using coordinating conjunctions.
- Compound Sentences — Joining with And/But/SoCombine two sentences using conjunctions.
- Compound Words PracticeRecognize and produce compound words from component parts: sunflower, doorbell.
- Conjunction ExpansionUse coordinating conjunctions and/but/or/so to connect ideas in sentences.
- Contractions PracticePractice producing and decoding contractions: isn't, can't, won't, didn't.
- Irregular Past TensePractice high-frequency irregular past tense: ran, went, ate, saw, fell, made.
- Irregular Past Tense FlashcardsCards for common irregular past tense verbs.
- Irregular PluralsPractice high-frequency irregular plurals: feet, teeth, mice, geese, children.
- Morphology — Adding -ing and -edSort words by whether they need -ing or -ed.
- Negative Sentence ConstructionForm negative sentences using not and contractions with picture prompts.
- Plural Nouns — Regular and IrregularFlashcards for plural noun forms.
- Possessive Apostrophe -sPractice marking possession using the possessive morpheme with picture prompts.
- Possessives — Whose Is It?Match objects to their owners using possessives.
- Prefix re- RepetitionPractice adding re- to verbs to indicate repetition: redo, rewrite, refill.
- Prefix un- NegationPractice adding un- to adjectives and verbs: unhappy, untie, unlock, unfair.
- Preposition Cards — In On UnderPractice in, on and under with sentence cards.
- Prepositional Phrase PracticeProduce sentences containing prepositional phrases of location and manner.
- Present Progressive -ingPractice the present progressive form: is/are + verb-ing.
- Pronoun Sort — He She TheySort people words by the pronoun that replaces them: he, she or they.
- Regular Past Tense -edPractice adding the regular past tense /t/ /d/ /ɪd/ morpheme to action verbs.
- Regular Plural -sPractice adding the regular plural morpheme /s/ /z/ /ɪz/ to nouns.
- Sentence Completion — Fill in the BlankFill in missing words to complete sentences.
- Sentence Expansion PracticeExpand simple kernel sentences by adding adjectives, adverbs, and prepositional phrases.
- Simple SVO SentencesPractice constructing subject-verb-object sentences using picture cards.
- Subject-Verb Agreement DrillPractice correct subject-verb agreement across singular and plural subjects.
- Suffix -ful Full ofPractice adding -ful: helpful, colorful, careful, hopeful, joyful, powerful.
- Suffix -less WithoutPractice adding -less: hopeless, careless, helpless, fearless, tasteless.
- Suffix -ly Adverb FormationPractice adding -ly to adjectives: quickly, slowly, happily, quietly, carefully.
- Superlative -est and mostPractice forming superlatives with -est for short and most for longer adjectives.
- Third Person Singular -sPractice adding the third-person singular morpheme in present tense sentences.
- Verb Tense Sort — Past Present FutureSort sentences by verb tense.
- Wh-Question FormationPractice forming who, what, where, when, and why questions from picture scenes.
- When/While Temporal ClausesPractice temporal clauses using when and while to describe sequential events.
- Yes/No Question PracticeConvert declarative sentences into yes/no questions using auxiliary verb inversion.
- Yesterday or Every Day? Verb Ending SortSort twelve verbs by ending: past tense -ed words into Yesterday and present tense -s words into Every day.
Grades 3–5
- Adverbial Clause PracticeUse adverbial clauses to add information about time, manner, and reason.
- Cleft Sentence PracticePractice cleft constructions for emphasis: It is X that/who...
- Common Prefixes (un-, re-, pre-, dis-)Identify prefix meaning and read prefixed multisyllabic words.
- Common Suffixes (-ing, -ed, -tion, -able)Identify suffix meaning and read suffixed multisyllabic words.
- Derivational Morphology SortingSort words by part of speech from the same root: act/active/activity/actively.
- If/Then Conditional SentencesPractice conditional sentence structures with if/then using scenario cards.
- Morpheme SegmentationSegment multimorphemic words: un-help-ful-ness. Uses Elkonin boxes for morphemes.
- Passive Voice TransformationTransform active sentences into passive voice using picture pairs.
- Prefix pre- BeforePractice the prefix pre- meaning before: preschool, preview, preorder, prefix.
- Question Tag ProductionProduce grammatically correct question tags at the end of declarative sentences.
- Relative Clause ConstructionProduce sentences with embedded relative clauses using who/that/which.
- Sentence Combining DrillCombine multiple short sentences into one complex sentence preserving all information.
- Sentence Reduction PracticeReduce complex sentences to core propositions for students with omission patterns.
- Suffix -tion NominalizationPractice nominalization: act→action, collect→collection, celebrate→celebration.
Grades 6–8
- Choose the Conjunction That FitsEight sentences with a missing conjunction; the student picks because, although, unless or since to complete each one.
- Combine the Sentences: Although, Because, Unless and SinceSeven pairs of short sentences to combine with the conjunction that keeps the meaning: although, because, unless or since.
- Decoding Multisyllabic Academic WordsSyllable-chunking practice on the long words that stall secondary readers mid-sentence.
- Greek and Latin Roots: Middle School SetEight high-yield roots that unlock hundreds of content-area words.
- Relative Clauses: Combine with Who, That or WhoseSeven sentence pairs to combine into one sentence with a relative clause using who, that or whose.
- Suffixes That Change the Part of SpeechDerivational morphology: same root, three forms, three jobs in a sentence.
- Which Sentence Is Grammatical? Teen TopicsSeven sets of three sentences about school and everyday teen life; the student picks the one written in standard academic grammar.
Questions
- What is the difference between morphology and syntax?
- Morphology works inside the word: “jump” becomes “jumped”, “happy” becomes “unhappy”. Syntax works across the sentence: the order of the words, and how clauses fit together. Grammar goals often target both.
- How do I target past tense?
- Start with regular -ed verbs for actions the student can see, then contrast them with irregular verbs. Ask “What did he do?” right after an action so the past tense is the natural answer, and record whether the ending was produced, not just the verb.
- Can students practice complex sentences without writing?
- Yes. Most of the boards work out loud: the student joins two sentences with a conjunction and says the result. Writing can come once the spoken form is steady.
Keep the data from every board
With a free account, every correct, cued and incorrect mark is saved to the student and scored against their IEP goal. Assign any board as home practice through the parent portal.
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